Music-leaf holder



(No Model.)

B. BQPHELPSL MUSIC LEAF HOLDER.

N0. 275,696. Pgtented Apr. 10; 1883.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD B. PHELPS, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

MUSIC-LEADFIHOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 275,696, dated April10, 1883.

Application flled November 7, 1882. (N0 model.)

.To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EDWARD B. PHELPS, acitizen of the United States, residing at Spring, field, in the countyof Hampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Music-Leaf Holders, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to improvements in music-leaf holders adapted tobe used on pianos, organs, &'c., for holding the sheets of music in anopen position before the player, the object being to provideleaf-holding devices which are easily and quickly removable from theface of the sheets to permit the latter to be turned over withoutobstruction, and which, when so removed, are capable of beingautomatically held away from said sheets, and of being by the playerinstantly disengaged as soon as a sheet is turned and allowed to springagainst the music and retain the sheets of the latter in an openposition. a

In the drawings forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a planview of a musicleaf holder constructed according to my invention. Fig. 2is also a plan view, but showing the spring-holder in a position awayfrom the music. Fig. 3 is a front elevation, showing the central part ofmusic-sheets on the holder and the position of the sheet-holding springthereagainst when holding said sheets open. Figs. 4 and 5 are detailviews.

In the drawings, A is a metallic base, provided with two verticalshaft-supports, c c. d is a shaft. his a leaf-arm, one end of whichterminates in a coil-spring, B is a base, of wood or other similarmaterial, to receive in a proper recess in its face said metallic baseA.

The base A is cast or otherwise made from any suitable metal, or may bemade from heavy wood or any suitable material, and has fixed upon itsupper face the two shaft-supports c c, the latter being perforated toreceive the shaft d and support the latter by its ends in a horizontalposition above the face of said base A, said shaft being rigidly securedto said supports.

The leaf-arm h is made from spring-wire, and one end thereof is providedwith an eye or a hook, as in Fig. 4, through which said shaft passesloosely, so that said arm may be hung by one end thereof to oscillate onsaid bar d close to the inner side of one of the supports 0. Theopposite end of arm h is bent around shaft d, and extended along on thelatter in the form of a spring, 2', and the extreme end is secured tosaid shaft after drawing said spring to such a tension as will throwsaid arm over to the position shown in Fig. l. The fast ening of saidspring end of arm h to shaft d is effected by inserting said end througha hole drilled in said shaft, or in any other convenient way. Saidspringt is also crowded somewhat toward the right-hand support 0, tocarry the end of arm it against the latter with some force previous tofastening its end as aforesaid. The said right-hand support 0 isprovided with a cam-shaped cut, 0, or with some other suitable stop,under which the part of arm it next to said support may be pushed byspring t or its own inclination to spread when turned over to theposition shown in Fig. 2, and whereby it is so held until said part ofarm 'h is pushed away from said support. This last-named support 0 isprovided with a projecting stop on its inner side, (lettered 0,) onwhich arm it rests when thrown over, as in Fig. 1, andhvhereby it isprevented from dropping too low to conveniently allow one to place theirlinger under it to turn it up.

When it is found desirable to provide some material connected with thebase of the holder less hard than metal, whichshall come in directcontact with the polished surface of the musical instrument on whichsaid holder is used, the base A may be let into or attached to a woodenbase, 13; or the supports 0 0 may be secured to the last-named basedirectly, if it be heavy enough to serve its purpose.

The operation of my invention is as follows: The holder is placed on thepiano or other inst'rumentj ust in front of the music-rack, and the Iarm h is turned forward, as in Fig.2,and when so turned spring t crowdsone side of said arm against said right-hand support 0, forcing it undersaid cam-cut e, and holding the arm from being thrown back by the actionof spring t by its tendency to unwind on shaft d. The music is nowplaced on the rack back of the supports 0 c, the right-hand end of arm his pushed slightly away from the cam-catch e, and-said 'arm is by spring71 thrown over against the sheets a a of music, holding them open, as inFig. 3. When the player wishes to turn a leaf over he draws arm itforward, catching it at 0, turns the leaf, and disengages said arm, asbefore.

What I claim as my invention is- In combination, the base A, havingthereon 5 the shaft-supports c 0, one of which is provided with thearm-stop 0 and the curved shouldere, the shaft 01, immovably secured tothe supports, the arm h, pivoted on said shaft d at one end, and at theother end bent spirally around the shaft to form the springi, whereby 10the arm h is forced against the shaft-support provided with the stops,and when relieved from stop 6 will swing it on said shaft against stop0, substantially as set forth.

EDWARD B. PHELPS.

Vi tnesses:

R. F. HYDE, H. A. CHAPIN.

